


Protect Me from What I Want

by out_there



Category: Sports Night
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-14
Updated: 2005-03-14
Packaged: 2017-10-15 05:03:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/157297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/out_there/pseuds/out_there
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three mistakes made in a complicated world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protect Me from What I Want

**Author's Note:**

> Both the title and section titles are from Placebo's "Protect Me from What I Want". I have much love for beta readers like [](http://meadowlion.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://meadowlion.livejournal.com/)**meadowlion** , who actually know how commas should be used, and are happy to beta twice.

**1\. Wedding bells ain't gonna chime**

He spotted her in the middle of a crowded room, and it felt like a cliche. She turned her head, looking over her shoulder, and her eyes widened as she saw him.

Rebecca's hair was a deep chocolate brown, hanging past her shoulders in loose, soft curls. Her skin was still pale, and there was something unmistakable about the lines of her neck as she laughed. There was no way Casey wouldn't have recognised her, even if he wished he hadn't.

Her dark red dress hugged her curves in all the right ways, and he was suddenly glad he'd been sent here instead of Dan. Heartbreaks should be restricted to only once every year.

It wasn't that Casey had anything against her, other than breaking Danny's heart. It was hard to dislike Rebecca, with her kittenish smiles and charming distance, with her soft barriers and brittle vulnerability. He understood Danny's attraction to her, but he also saw the warning signs.

He understood just how messy a messy separation could be. How confusing and confidence destroying the whole thing was. He knew that while you were stuck in that emotional turmoil, you yearned for comfort, not the next love of your life. That wasn't something that Danny had understood.

Every station covered Spring Training, and during a slow news week, sending him over here seemed like a good feature. Of course, other stations would think of it too, and everyone knew Steve Sisco was stationed just a hop, skip and a jump away, so running into Rebecca wasn't an impossibility. But it still gave him a little jolt of shock to see her walking towards him.

"Hi, Casey," she said, and her smile lit the room.

"Hey." He smiled back, gripping his glass just a little tighter. "Long time, no see."

"Small world, huh?" She flicked her head to the side, tossing her hair behind her shoulder.

"The world of sports broadcasting is very small."

"Yeah." Her eyes flickered around the room, and he knew what she was going to ask as she parted her blood red lips. "So, where's Danny?"

"He didn't come."

Her smile froze. "He didn't?"

Casey drank another mouthful of beer, pretending that this conversation was casual. "He's back in New York."

"Oh." It was in the set of her shoulders, in the way she dropped her chin closer to her collarbone; Casey could recognize regret when he saw it. "Probably just as well."

"So how's--" He didn't want to mention Steve's name, not when he could see the guy sitting in a corner of the room, not when he could see the sharp-cheeked brunette whispering into Steve's ear. "--everything?"

She didn't look over her shoulder, didn't spare a glance for her husband, but Casey got the impression she knew exactly what was happening. "It's complicated," she said wryly.

"Isn't everything these days?"

She laughed, her round cheeks forming almost-dimples. "It feels that way."

He couldn't explain why he did it: couldn't explain why he leaned forward, rested a hand on her bare forearm, and softly asked, "Are you happy?"

She blinked, and her smile cracked for a second. "I'm married," she said, looking down at the carpet. She took a moment before she kept speaking. "It's complicated."

"I heard."

"You heard?"

Casey shrugged, planting his hands in his pockets. "It's a small world, Rebecca. It's not hard to hear rumors." He didn't say what rumors; he didn't need to. Steve and his assistant seemed to be a publicly-known secret. There were other rumors, too -- things that a friend of a friend had hinted at, things that Dan had wondered about -- but that was none of Casey's business.

Two bright spots of color glowed high on her cheekbones. "And Danny?"

Casey shrugged. "Whatever he knows, I haven't told him."

"It's not-- I mean--" This time she did look over at Steve's blond hair and ruddy complexion, at the obvious way he was inching his hand up his assistant's thigh. When she turned back, her jaw was set. "It's complicated."

"It's humiliating," Casey replied before he could stop himself.

Eyes narrowed, Rebecca stepped away. "It was nice seeing you again, Casey," she said coldly, and then walked past him. He watched the dark curls move as she walked across the room and out into the dark corridor beyond it.

He gulped down what was left of his beer and set off after her.

He found her standing in an alcove of pay phones and vending machines, with her back straight against the wall and her knuckles pressed against her mouth. She looked up defensively, blinking quickly as he stepped closer. Unshed tears glimmered wetly on her dark eyelashes.

"I didn't mean to say that. Or, I didn't mean that to sound the way it did," Casey tried to explain. He dug his hands further into his pockets. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head slowly. "You're right."

"I didn't mean to be."

She snorted, and behind her delicate closed fist, he caught a glimpse of a smile. "It's just I thought it would be better. I thought we could do better this time."

He nodded. "I get it."

A dark eyebrow shot up. "Do you?"

"I get it." Casey leaned his shoulder against one of the vending machines. "You go back and try to do better. But when that doesn't work, it's twice as hard to admit."

"It's hard to admit you were stupid enough to believe--" She cut herself off with a tight frown. Then she tilted her head. "How's Danny these days?"

"He's good," Casey said, and didn't mention Abby or the List or any of his other worries about Dan. "He was heart-broken over you for a while, but he's good now."

She drew a deep breath through her nose and rested her hands behind her back. With her arms back and her shoulders flat against the wall, it was pretty easy to see which of her charms had attracted Danny first; Danny had always had an appreciation for cleavage.

"I meant what I said. It's probably just as well Danny isn't here. I'd be too tempted to do something stupid."

Casey raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Like sleep with him," Rebecca said quietly, "just to show Steve I could."

"No." The word was out of his mouth before he even thought it. Rebecca looked up with a surprised, and slightly amused, expression. "No. You don't get to do that to him. Not after the way he felt about you. No."

She stared at him for a moment, holding his gaze firmly. Then she glanced away. "I know. But sometimes the idea of being carried off on some knight's white charger is appealing."

"Danny's not your knight."

"And I'm not a damsel in a distress," she replied quickly. "But Danny liked to think I was."

"He liked you." Casey stood up straight, watching this brunette in her slinky crimson dress, and wondered what else had changed about Rebecca. Wondered how much the Dan in her memories had changed from the flesh-and-blood, heart-on-his-sleeve, head-over-heels-in-love-with-her Dan that she'd left behind. "He loved you."

"He loved the idea of saving me. It's not quite the same."

"You're crazy, woman." Rebecca's dark brows shot up as Casey leaned closer to hiss at her. "You were crazy to choose Steve over Danny. And you're even crazier if you think there was anything Danny wouldn't have done to prove how much he loved you."

Rebecca pushed herself off the wall and met his gaze boldly. "I'm crazy, huh?"

"Certifiable."

She angled her head up, bringing her lips so close to his that he could feel the heat radiating from her skin. He knew there were good reasons against this. He should have stepped away, gone to the airport and demanded an earlier flight back to the beloved city of his best friend.

But he wanted this, and he didn't want to dissect his motives too carefully.

She drew a breath, pulling cold air across his lips. She was going to say something, he was sure of it, but instead she moved across that last quarter-inch of distance, covering his mouth with smeared lipstick.

It took him a second to respond, then he wrapped his arms around her and stepped forward, pinning her against the wall. Rebecca worked a cool hand between them, slid her fingers down his shirt and started unbuttoning his fly like a pro.

It was true that Casey wasn't a modern Casanova, but even he could see where this was leading: quick and fast, and arguably very stupid.

He hissed as her fingers wrapped around his cock, giving him a few shallow strokes before she whispered against his jaw, "Do you have anything?"

"Um, yeah. In my wallet." He had it because it was a safety and precaution, but mainly because Dan used to mock him for being unprepared. Danny's ex-girlfriend shimmied out of her panties and hiked her dress up to her hips. Casey was pretty sure he shouldn't be thinking of Danny as he fumbled in his back pocket, as he flipped open his wallet and took out the rustling square of plastic. But he couldn't help it: couldn't help thinking of Dan as he unrolled the latex over his dick, as he slid inside Rebecca in one sweet thrust.

She was slick, and wet, and easy, taking each thrust with a stifled gasp. Her hands clenched against his shoulders, clawed fingertips digging into his jacket as she pressed her forehead against his neck. He had one hand on her hip, pulling her towards him and then pushing her against the wall, setting the rhythm and holding her to it.

The fabric of her skirt rustled as it brushed his wrist. It was soft and glossy, and so cool compared to the heat of her skin.

His other hand was flattened against the wall, fingers splayed across the painted plaster, keeping him balanced while he fucked her. They were a room away from her husband, and several states away from Dan, but it was the thought of Danny finding out that made the whole thing so dangerous and heady. The threat of being caught, being found out and exposed, made his pulse quicken, made him pant and drive deeper, push harder.

Rebecca stuttered out a small groan, and maybe she was coming, or maybe she was just getting started, but Casey was too far gone. Thumping her back against the wall with a few last haphazard thrusts, he shot into her.

They stilled, didn't move for a few sex-dazed moments, and then he stepped back. Pulled off the condom and tied it up, did up his pants and walked over to the wastebasket. Casey dropped the used condom and watched it fall into the other garbage, because it was easier than turning back to Rebecca.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her pull up her panties and smooth down her dress. She rubbed her smeared lipstick off with the back of her hand. "Don't tell Danny, okay?"

He turned his head towards her and spat at her, "You think this is the type of thing I'd ever tell Danny?"

She gave him a long, careful look, and he couldn't read anything in her expression. "No. I suppose not."

 

  
**2\. As we open the latch on the gate**

When they received the invitations for the three of them -- Dana, Casey and Dan -- Dana had jumped at the chance. Shauna's engagement party seemed like a perfect excuse to go back and see what had changed, to catch up with everyone they'd left behind.

Dana was almost regretting it now.

Dallas was hot. A few years away, and she'd forgotten how hot it was. Too used to New York air conditioning, Dana thought as she wiped the sweat gathered on the back of her neck.

Most of the night was a blur of dancing and laughing, and catching up with people she hadn't seen since they left Lone Star. Quinn had had a second kid, an adorable boy from the sounds of it, and Dana had cooed over pictures while Casey started rambling about Charlie.

Dan had been on the other side of the room rekindling the old flirtation with Christi, until she mentioned her fiance.

Dan and Casey had been like that all day. They hadn't talked on the plane; they'd barely grunted as they drove from the airport; and they'd somehow managed to avoid each other at this party.

She'd just tried to talk some sense into Casey, to find the reason for this strange silence, but he'd shaken his head. "Let it be, Dana. If Dan wants to sulk in public, let him be the child he is."

When Casey talked like that about Dan, something very big was going very wrong.

Dana walked (okay, swayed and stumbled a little) over to Dan. She'd also forgotten that humid weather and cool champagne were a lethal combination. The champagne-soaked strawberries weren't helping either. "Danny, Danny, Danny."

He grinned, all twinkling eyes and naughty smile. "Yes, my fair lady?"

"Why aren't you talking to Casey?"

"Because he's being a jackass," Dan replied easily, snagging another glass of champagne as an errant waiter walked by. "The better question is, why aren't you talking to him?"

Dana shook her head, feeling the pins holding her hair up start to come loose. "I was. Earlier."

"Why aren't you still talking to him?" Dan asked, leaning in closer. His eyes skated down and then came back up to hers slowly. "Why aren't you two dancing and flirting, and making everyone wonder?"

Dana felt her face flush and suddenly realized Dan was flirting. With her. "Everyone wonders?"

Dan wet his lips. "You know, they all used to wonder if you two were sleeping together."

"Who did?"

"The people. Here," Dan said with a wave of his arm. "Half of them thought Casey was having an affair with you."

"He wasn't."

Dan grinned. "I know."

Her dress was clinging to the back of her thighs. Dana frowned and shifted in the muggy air. "Why would they think that?"

"Because you two talked." Dan paused, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed a mouthful of bubbles. "You two used to stand around and talk about random stats. You'd lean too close to each other and smile."

"So?" Dana pulled at the material sticking to her collarbone, and his eyes skimmed down as her movement revealed an extra inch of cleavage. "You and Casey talk all the time, like you're sharing your own separate language."

Dan chuckled and leaned closer, resting a strong hand on her elbow. "So you think it's just a friendship thing with Casey?"

If she were back in New York, she would have stepped away. Pulled back from the obvious sexual overture in his gestures. But she was in Dallas, and she was hot (and she was somewhat drunk), so she pressed her shoulders back and smiled. "Seems so."

"Well," Dan said and then whispered into her ear. "It certainly explains why he's never slept with either of us."

Dana shivered at the warm breath against her skin and decided not to think about that statement too much. "Still think I should make everyone wonder?"

Dan stepped back and trailed a finger down the sweaty skin of her forearm. "If you can."

She smiled slowly. "You don't think I can?"

"You're a very capable woman, Dana. I'm sure you could do anything you put your mind to."

Twining her arms around Dan's shoulders, she pressed up against him. She started swaying in time to the slow music. "Come back to the hotel with me," she breathed against his shoulder, intoxicated by more than just the alcohol.

"Dana," Dan said as his hands slid across the thin fabric and settled on her hips.

Reaching up, she pressed a wet kiss against the corner of his jaw. "Now, Danny."

He nodded. "Okay." Keeping a hand on her shoulder, he half-steered and half-followed her across the room.

"Hey," Casey called out when they got to the doorway. They both paused and turned towards the familiar voice. Casey was a few steps away. "Where are you guys off to?"

"We're heading back to the hotel," Dan replied.

"So early?" Casey's voice was... off. It sounded cheerful and carefree, but there was something missing. Years of producing Casey's shows meant she knew when Casey was trying to hide amusement or anger. It was disconcerting that she wasn't sure what he was hiding now.

Dana kept her eyes focused on Casey's shoulder, not quite trusting herself not to start blushing. "I think I need to sleep this off."

Casey shrugged. "Wait a minute. I'll come back with you."

"That's not necessary, Casey," Dan said, a touch more firmly than needed. "Why don't you stay here and have a good time?"

"I've had a good time, Danny." She didn't need to watch Casey's eyes to know he'd narrowed them. "Besides, we fly back tomorrow. It's probably a good idea to get a decent night's sleep."

Dana rubbed at her temples, wondering if this was going to end in more sulking silences or an outright argument. Either way, she was starting to lose that buzz of flirting and sexual attraction. "Fine, Casey. You can share the cab back with us."

Dan's shoulders stiffened, but he didn't argue. "Come on," he said and started out the door.

Oddly enough, Casey didn't look too thrilled either. "Let's go."

The ride back was the same as the plane trip this morning and the cab ride after that: Dan and Casey sitting to either side of her, staring out the window and earnestly ignoring the other. Or it was the same, until she felt the back of Dan's fingers brush against the outside of her thigh.

Dana shifted in the cab seat, trying not to lean closer to Dan. Warm fingers trailed up, almost all the way up to her hip and then halfway down to her knee, sliding across the soft fabric easily. Breathing carefully, she stared out the windshield at the black road ahead.

Danny slid his hand across, resting his hand casually on her thigh, his thumb rubbing circles against the material. Glancing over, she tried to catch his eye, to tell him 'not here' and 'not now', 'not so obviously' and 'not in front of Casey', but he wasn't watching her. He was looking past her, over her head.

She turned, following his gaze, and found Casey watching them. Or, more accurately, watching Dan's hand on her thigh.

She cleared her throat. "Casey?" Casey's eyes met hers, but she noticed that Dan didn't pull his hand back, didn't stop tracing circles on her leg. She wondered if she was supposed to tell him to stop.

Casey didn't say anything. He just looked at her, obviously confused. Not angry, not jealous, but she wished he was. Dana understood jealous-Casey. She understood the way that he wanted his things to remain *his* things.

But Casey looked... hurt.

She watched Casey swallow and then turn back to the window, keeping his face hidden.

Dan pulled his hand away. "Casey--"

"It doesn't matter," Casey said quickly.

"Casey," Dana started, and then stopped. She didn't know what to say.

"I don't want to know."

"There's nothing to know," Dan pointed out harshly. "We're two single, consenting adults. We can have sex if we want to."

Casey refused to look away from the window. "Good luck to you."

Dan huffed. "God, Casey, not everyone's like you."

"Obviously."

"Not everyone spends months flirting and hinting and cowardly backing out the second it becomes possible," Dan replied. "Some of us have an idea of what we want and go after it like adults."

Dana flinched. "Casey, it's not--"

"I don't care what it isn't," Casey shot back, turning around. It was reassuring to see Casey so angry. "In fact, I don't really care what it is, either. But if it makes the pair of you happy, so be it."

"Your ego really can't take it, huh?" Dan asked spitefully. "Just can't handle the idea that people aren't going to sit around pining over you for years. That people get sick of you and actually move on."

Dana slumped down in the seat, raising a hand to her forehead. She really didn't want to be part of this argument. It was sweet of Danny to be angry on her behalf, but she really didn't need it.

"Are you okay?" Casey demanded.

Dana shrugged, covering her eyes. "I think I had a little too much to drink."

"Well, that certainly explains--"

Dan cut Casey off with a gentle question. "Are you going to be sick?"

"No. I should be fine," Dana said quietly. The boys went back to sulking and ignoring each other. This time, Dana appreciated the silence.

When they got to the hotel, she was a little unsteady on her feet, but with Casey on one arm and Dan on the other, they made it back to her room. She didn't bother to object to the careless way Casey rummaged through her handbag to find the keycard. She was just glad that he unlocked her door.

"You should probably sleep it off," Casey suggested grudgingly.

Dana nodded but headed to the bathroom. "I just need to wash this makeup off," she called out behind her.

The cool water felt good on her burning cheeks, but when she looked up, her mascara was running down her face. Her makeup remover was missing, so she just scrubbed at it with water and left grey streaks on the hotel towel. Despite the running water, she could still hear the sounds of Casey and Dan squabbling.

Feeling a lot less light-headed, she headed back out and found Casey and Dan in each other's faces, hissing something unfriendly.

Then, Dan hooked a hand around the back of Casey's head and kissed him hard.

Dana knew first kisses. She knew the awkwardness and the uncertainty, the clumsiness of an unknown mouth and the way that noses squished and chins bumped. This kiss wasn't like that. And all Dana could do was stand there and think, "Huh. They've done that before."

Or maybe she said it out loud, because they pulled away suddenly and turned to her.

Dan grinned hopefully. "Feeling better?" Casey ducked his head and stared at the blue-grey carpet as the tips of his ears coloured.

Dana crossed her arms, and leaned against the wall. She refused to be played for a fool. "What was tonight about?"

"You and me?" Dan asked warily.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"We were both drunk, and we're both hot," Dan replied with a loose grin. "Sex seemed like a good idea."

Casey snorted and stared at Dan. He opened his mouth to say something, and then shut it again. Dana wondered if there were any fish with rectangular heads.

If so, that would be the one fish she probably wouldn't be scared of.

Casey glanced away, and Dana stopped avoiding her own thoughts. "So you were going to sleep with me, and you're also sleeping with Casey?"

"I'm not sleeping with Casey."

"Why not?" Dana demanded.

Dan gave her a funny look. "There are a lot of reasons."

"Yeah, but--" Dana frowned as she thought. "You're kissing, but you don't... Am I the only one who thinks that's strange?"

"Dana," Casey chided, his voice serious. "This isn't... I don't know what you think this is, but this isn't..." Casey trailed off, scrubbing a hand through his hair.

"What Casey means to say," Dan supplied, "is, can we trust you not to tell anyone? And he'd probably also like to point out that regardless of what you saw, he remains ridiculously straight."

Casey glared at Dan.

Dana blinked, suddenly seeing the last argument in a rather different light. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Cool." Dan grinned.

"So..." There was a moment of strange silence, her watching Dan, and Dan watching Casey, and Casey staring at the carpet. "Good night?" Dana suggested half-heartedly.

Dan shrugged. "Did you still want to sleep with me?"

Dana boggled at him. "What?"

"We're both consenting adults, Dana," Dan said as he stalked over towards her. Somehow, Dan trying to flirt now was absurdly amusing. "We're not breaking any laws."

"Danny, don't be ridiculous," Dana said as he stepped closer.

Casey cleared his throat. "I'm going to go to bed and let you throw Danny out in peace." He paused at the door and said just a little uncertainly, "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Night, Casey," Dan replied cheerily. His sexy grin barely faltered when Casey closed the door behind him.

"Dan Rydell," Dana said firmly, "what the hell is going on?"

"I'm trying to get you into bed," Dan said smoothly. "I thought it was kind of obvious."

"You're doing the soccer coverage when we get back."

"What?" Dan sounded shocked. "Why?"

"Because you're either being cruel or stupid," she said, leaning back from Dan, "and I don't know which."

"I offer you sex, and in return you offer me soccer?" Dan shook his head, keeping the too-bright grin plastered on. "I don't like to say this, but your seduction techniques could do with some work."

"For the next month, Dan."

Dan laughed. "Dana, I'm not--"

Dana refused to back down. "Soccer. And Casey will do the golf reports."

Dan sighed and glared at the wall. "He was supposed to get jealous."

Dana sighed and stretched her head back against the wall. "Jealous?"

"You saw him around Gordon. You know what he's like. Casey never wants anything unless someone else has it."

"That's a bit..." She was going to say untrue, but that wasn't quite right. "Unfair. So you thought you'd flirt with me, and he'd revert to a possessive caveman and drag you back to the hotel?"

Dan chuckled mirthlessly. "I was betting he'd ask you out. But a decision one way or the other would be nice."

"We're not--"

"I know you're not. But the way Casey talks about you, it's pretty clear he wishes you guys were." Dan stopped as the door creaked open.

Casey stuck his head around the door warily, holding up a white plastic card. "I still had your keycard. I just thought I should return it. In case, you know, you needed ice or something."

She waved Casey inside. "Come in for a second."

Casey closed the door behind him. "What?"

Dana had a sudden idea. Almost an epiphany. A mini-epiphany. "Do you like Dan?"

"He's my best friend," Casey dodged, noticeably not looking at Dan.

"Do you like me?"

"You're my boss, Dana. I'm not going to say no."

"But you're not dating either of us," Dana pointed out.

Casey's eyes went wide. "Okay, I'm going back to my room now."

"Wait a minute, I have a plan," Dana said.

"Is this like the six-week dating plan?" Dan asked warily. "Because that was many levels of insane."

Dana rolled his eyes. "Okay, that wasn't a good plan. But this is."

Casey looked at her hopelessly. "You've had another epiphany?"

"Yes."

"Have you noticed these epiphanies always come with a lot of alcohol?" Dan asked mock-seriously.

Dana grinned. "It's already got you two bantering again, so it's pretty successful so far." The guys looked at each other and shrugged. "Do you want to hear my plan?"

"I really, really don't," Casey replied.

"I think we should sleep together." Casey kept staring at her, so she added, "All three of us."

Beside her, Dan made a choking sound. "Dana--"

"It's a good idea." Dana smiled and waited for them to agree.

"No, it's not," Dan replied quickly. "It's bad. Very bad."

"Unbelievably bad," Casey added.

Dana stretched her arms behind her back, noticing the way that Dan's eyes flickered to her chest. "Why?"

Dan looked a little guilty. "What?"

"Why is it a bad idea?"

Casey took a step towards her, watching her seriously. "Dana, this isn't-- People don't-- You can't just--" He looked beseechingly at Dan. "Danny?"

"It's *bad*, Dana."

She rolled her eyes and started pulling at the side zip on her dress. "Why?"

"It's just not done, Dana." Casey did a remarkable job of keeping his eyes on her face as she pulled down the top of her dress. "There's jealousy and anger and uncertainty. And it isn't done. There's a reason people only date in pairs."

"I didn't ask you to date us. I asked you to sleep with us." Dana kicked off the rest of her dress, revealing a red bra with matching red panties. Casey swallowed, staring.

"You need to stop getting undressed," Casey said desperately.

"Ignore him," Dan said. "He's an insane man with no idea what he's talking about."

Casey turned on him. "Danny, you're supposed to be backing me up here."

"Right now, I'm failing to see the problem with it," Dan said, not looking away from Dana's pale skin. He waved vaguely at the door. "But, you know, if you're having problems, feel free to leave in protest."

Dana stepped over the discarded dress, carefully not catching her heels on the material. Dan was licking his lips. When she kissed him, she could almost taste the overripe strawberries from the reception.

Dan's hands settled on her hips, his thumbs hooking under the sides of her panties. She pulled his bottom lip between her teeth as she eased the tie off his neck.

Turning her head, she spotted Casey staring at them. And from the bulge in his pants, he liked what he saw. "Sure you don't want to join us?"

"I think Casey's chicken," Dan teased and then made a show of bending down and sucking on Dana's collarbone. There was the tickle of short hair against her neck and jaw, and she stretched her head back.

Casey was still staring. "Maybe Casey just likes to watch," she suggested breathlessly as Dan suddenly sucked hard against her skin.

"Then maybe we should really put on a show," Dan said against her skin.

As he dusted kisses across her shoulders, she watched Casey shift his weight. He was probably finding those pants a little uncomfortable. "And you should be less dressed."

Dan pulled back and grinned conspiratorially at her. "You think?"

"Definitely." Dana nodded, and started pushing Dan's light summer jacket off his shoulders.

Dan's hands fluttered up to his shirt buttons, but Dana dragged his hands back down to his sides. "Let me."

She started at the top button, and slowly worked her way down, pausing after each one to nuzzle his mostly smooth chest. His stomach trembled under her fingers as she tugged at an obstinate button, and when she bit into the flat muscle, he hissed. Behind her, she heard Casey groan.

Standing up, she made quick work of the cuff buttons and then walked behind Dan. Casey was biting his lip, his palms pressed hard against his thighs. She pulled off Dan's shirt slowly, watching Casey's eyes darken as the damp cotton slid off Dan's shoulders.

Dan was breathing heavily, panting out, "Dana, please." She reached around him and ran a hand down his chest, over his fly, and then cupped him firmly through the fabric. Groaning, Dan arched his hips against her fingers.

When she pulled her hand away, he made the sweetest whimper.

She wasn't quite tall enough to kiss his neck, so instead she sucked at the slight ridges of his spine. Ran her tongue over the curve of his shoulder blades while she fumbled with his fly. He twisted his arms behind him, grabbing at her lower back as she started to slide her hands up and down the front of his boxers.

Dan's pants proved impossible to drag down with one hand, but he helpfully pushed them down himself. Dana stepped back as he toed off his shoes and bent over, pulling off his pants.

"Do you think that's enough of a show?" Dana asked playfully.

Dan gave a low chuckle that sent chills up her spine. "I think it's time for the main event."

"Good idea," Dana was forced to agree as Dan took a step towards her, his white teeth gleaming out of a feral grin. Dan slipped a hand between her legs, rubbing the moist cotton lace against her. "But..."

Dan dragged her earlobe between his teeth. "But?"

She squirmed against his fingers, trying to remember her point. "But some of us are far too dressed."

Dan looked across at Casey and kept moving his hand against her. Dana moaned, and took back every time she'd ever called him a butterfingers.

"You have a good point," Dan replied. "Going to come over, Casey?"

Casey nodded, and stalked over to them. Dana noticed the dangerous glint in his eyes, and wondered how Casey, their uncool, stylishly-challenged *Casey*, could manage to look so sexy.

From the way Dan's breath caught, she bet he was thinking the same thing.

"You really should be naked--" Dan started, but Casey cut him off with a hungry kiss. When he pulled back, Dan was blinking at him dazedly.

Then Casey turned, and caught her with an arm around her waist. She knew Casey could kiss, but right now, Casey wasn't kissing her, he was trying to devour her whole. Settling his hands on her shoulders, he walked her backwards until her shoulders hit plaster. He broke away to breathe, and then he was kissing her again, pressing a thigh between her legs and pinning her against the wall.

Casey rocked against her, making her gasp as he moved. She leaned against the wall and hooked her arms around his shoulders, using the leverage to wrap a leg around his thigh and pull him as close as she could.

Casey buried his face against her neck and eased a hand under her panties. His fingertips slid over her clit, and lower, and then he was skewering her with two fingers. Two big, strong fingers that were pressing up and in, and right *there*.

She grunted, bearing down on his hand, pinned too tight against the wall to be able to rock against him. "God, Casey!"

He rubbed his thumb against her clit, and pressed harder inside her. Words sped away from her, and her desperate begging was reduced to pleading moans. His other hand cupped her breast through the cotton lace, stroking over the hardened nipple. Then he pinched it, and bit down hard on her neck, and it was too much. She scrunched her eyes shut as she clenched around his fingers.

She stood there, enjoying the pleasant twinges of aftershocks as Casey pulled back. When Dana opened her eyes a small eternity later, Casey was grinning smugly at her, slowly licking his fingers.

She looked across to find Danny leaning against the wall, his obviously bitten lips red and swollen. "You know, if Sports Night ever does get sold for the coaxial cables, there's a definite future in porn."

Dana rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because my mother doesn't have enough complaints about me producing a sports show."

"Mothers don't know about the existence of porn," Dan said decisively.

"Danny--" Dana started, but Casey cut her off with a quick kiss.

"Don't encourage him," Casey said with lazy laugh.

Danny made a show of pouting. "I'm discouraged at every turn."

"I wouldn't say that," Casey replied, eyes raking Dan's body. Dana noticed that look was just as sexy when it was aimed at someone else.

Dan smirked. "I just did."

"Maybe you should prove him wrong," Dana suggested playfully.

Casey smiled. "Yeah?"

"I think you should definitely encourage him." Dana nodded. "Encourage him to get naked."

Dan waved vaguely at Casey's clothes. "I'm not the one that needs encouragement on that."

"Hmm... He does have a point, Casey."

"Fine." Casey peeled his jacket off and tugged at his tie, loosening the knot. He flicked open the cuff buttons, and pulled the shirt over his head, as he kicked off his shoes. Then Casey stood in front of Dan, all sexy bravado, but Dana could see that he was nervous. Casey's left hand was fisted at his side: a sure sign that Casey wasn't as comfortable with this as he was trying to be.

Casey ignored Dan's wet lips, and kissed his way along Dan's shoulders, running his tongue along the golden smattering of freckles. Dana thought that was a shame -- Danny had very kissable lips -- but Casey seemed too distracted by Dan's chest to care.

Dan was moaning. Those sounds might have been words inside his head, but to Dana, they were just low desperate noises. Every time Casey ducked his head, every time his mouth skated lower, those noises got louder, got a little more distinct, a little more frantic.

Leaning against the wall, she watched Casey's fingers; they were glued to Dan's arms, gripping the muscle tightly, holding Dan against the wall as Casey kissed down Dan's sternum and across Dan's ribs. In contrast, Dan's hands were skimming over Casey's shoulders, over his neck, over his cheek; they were mussing Casey's hair and clawing at his back.

Dana stretched her arms above her head, and her shoulder made a dull clunk sound as she did so. She tilted her head to the side, partly to stretch her neck and partly to get a better view of Casey's mouth on Dan's skin, of Dan's hands pressing at Casey's shoulders, urging him down.

But Casey kept kissing Dan's chest, trailing his mouth down to the bottom of Dan's ribs but not any lower -- as if there was a line across Dan's stomach that couldn't be crossed -- and Dan managed to form actual words. "Casey, please!"

She saw the moment Casey froze.

With his face still pressed against Dan's torso and his hands anchored to Dan's arms, Casey tensed and stopped, just for a moment.

Dan's eyes were shut, but somehow he saw it too.

She knew because of the way his face scrunched up, she knew because of the way that, for a second, all his expression showed was pain. Then he grinned, and his voice was just as teasing as it had been earlier. "I think Dana's feeling a little abandoned, Casey."

"You think?" Casey swung his head towards her, and the pure relief in his eyes almost turned Dana's stomach.

"I think she's feeling a little excluded," Dan said, reaching over to grab her wrist. He gave her arm a quick pull, and she almost laughed as she tumbled towards him, her head swimming with alcohol and her feet almost tripping in her heels. "We should fix that."

Casey straightened and stepped back, letting Dan pull her between them. "We should." That seemed to be the secret signal.

Dan kissed her hungrily, his tongue sliding against hers, as Casey worked his hands over her hips and pushed her panties down. One of them unclasped her bra -- she wasn't sure which -- and suddenly she was naked, as naked as any woman can be while still wearing pumps. From the rustling behind her, Casey was getting just as naked.

Dan's hands were on her breasts, lifting her curves and stroking warm thumbs over her flesh. Casey's hands were on her hips, holding her still as he thrust into her. She gasped, settling her hands beside Dan's shoulders, against the wall. It was hard and good, and Dana had to close her eyes, had to let it wash over her, feel the hardness of Casey's cock inside her, driving deeper with every thrust.

She didn't see Dan drop to his knees. In fact, she wasn't even aware of it until Dan's hands settled over Casey's on her hips. Then Dan pressed his mouth against her, worked his tongue over her clit, and it was hard to notice anything else. Impossible to concentrate on anything not connected to her skin, not connected to Dan's mouth sliding over her or Casey's cock filling her, not connected to her body tightening and her muscles tensing as she got closer, and closer, and closer.

Casey's thrusts were getting more urgent, and he grunted as they became ragged and uneven. Then he bit down on her shoulder, and Dan sucked hard, and Dana was so close she was trembling with it, almost vibrating with lust, so close she could almost taste her own desperation.

And then -- *oh!* -- she was there.

She let her head drop, gasping for breath as Casey rode her through it. Eyes closed, she reached down to push Dan -- Dan and his kissable lips and talented tongue -- away from her too-sensitive skin, and then waited for her pulse to stop pounding in her throat.

When it did, she opened her eyes and looked down. Dan was stripping his cock with fast, hard strokes, his dark boxers pushed down around his knees. He was keeping time with Casey's thrusts inside her, and staring at her legs -- or at Casey's legs behind hers. Casey came first, shooting inside her (and she briefly thanked god that she was on the pill, because her biological clock certainly wasn't ticking loudly enough for her to want this unplanned pregnancy), and the warm splatter on her right ankle proved Dan hadn't been far behind.

The harsh sound of panting seemed to echo in the empty hotel room. The plaster under her fingertips felt clammy, and her head felt woozy, but she felt lethargic and well-satisfied.

Casey pulled out of her, and she heard him gathering his clothes. "The flight's at nine-twenty, right?"

At the sound of Casey's zipper, she opened her eyes and found Dan looking up at her stoically, silent acceptance etched around his eyes.

"Yeah," she said, and this didn't feel like an epiphany anymore. It felt like closure. "There'll be a car downstairs at eight."

 

  
**3\. Corporate America wakes**

Dan growled as he lurched towards the phone. He picked it up, groaned something unintelligible, and then realized he was holding the receiver upside down. Fumbling with the phone, Dan gave the neon glow of his alarm clock a surly glare. "It's almost five a.m."

"Huh?"

"You are going to die a slow, painful death, my friend." Murder most horrid was almost too good for people who interrupted a tired man's sleep.

"Danny?"

Dan blinked, trying to work out what was wrong. "Casey?"

The answering voice laughed, but it wasn't Casey's deep chuckle. Dan frowned as he tried to make sense of it. "Danny?"

In fact, it wasn't Casey's mild Midwestern twang, either. It was the sharper accent of someone who'd spent half their life in upper-class New York. "Charlie?"

"Yeah," Charlie replied easily.

Dan went from grumpy and asleep to very concerned in a matter of seconds. He felt like the emotional equivalent of a Porsche. "Charlie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Charlie replied easily, and then Dan heard him call out, "Is anything wrong?" Listening carefully, Dan could hear laughter, pop music and the slurred replies typical of drunk high school students everywhere.

"You're at a party?"

"Yeah," Charlie said slowly.

Dan sighed and fought the sinking feeling in his stomach. "Does your dad know?"

"Shh," Charlie replied. "I told him I'm studying."

"And you're calling for a lift home?" Dan was already kicking the covers back and throwing his legs out of bed.

Charlie sounded surprised. "No."

"Then why are you calling?" There was a long pause. "Charles?"

"Don't know."

"You don't know why you're calling?" Dan repeated carefully.

"I think it was just to say hi. So Hi, Danny."

Dan took a deep breath and resigned himself to a night of very little sleep. "Where are you?"

"I'm here."

"Where's there?"

"John's place."

"Where's John's place?"

"It's here."

Dan rolled his eyes and stared at the dark ceiling. "Do you think John would know the address for his place?"

"Probably."

"Could you go find out?" Dan asked. He was suddenly glad he'd never had a kid of his own. These were the early-morning phone calls he could do without.

***

"Thanks for letting me stay, Danny." Charlie's voice was slightly muffled by his sweatshirt as he somehow got it trapped around his shoulders.

Dan stepped in to help, trying not to roll his eyes again. His mom always said if he pulled that face too often it'd stay that way, and tonight he was coming close to testing her theory. "Not a problem."

The sweatshirt came off eventually, and Dan threw it into the bathroom. From the smell of it, Charlie had either spilled a few beers, or tried to shower in the stuff. On his way back, Dan grabbed a pillow and comforter for his couch.

Charlie was still standing there, swaying slightly and wearing Casey's wide grin. "No, really, thanks." He blinked, and the grin became a little sheepish. "I really appreciate it, Danny."

"Charles, you're seventeen, and you're going to have the mother of all hangovers tomorrow. There isn't too much to thank me for," Dan said as he led the kid to his couch. "Don't think you're getting out of telling your dad about this."

Charlie's face fell. "Really?"

"Really." Dan spread the comforter over Charlie. "Don't worry about it."

"It'll seem better in the morning?" Charlie asked hopefully.

Dan snickered. "No, it'll seem much worse." Charlie groaned, and Dan leaned over to run a hand through Charlie's short, sandy-blond hair. "But there's nothing you can do about it now."

Charlie stared up at him miserably. "Thanks, Danny."

"No problem."

***

Sometimes, it was easy for Dan to tell when he was dreaming. When Casey started discussing the Knicks Dancers and their effect on Marxist theories, it was a pretty clear sign. Dan nodded along to the comment about short skirts and bourgeois power, and relaxed back into the beach chair. He decided not to worry about why they were shooting tonight's episode from Miami Beach, and tried to enjoy the sunshine instead.

It was all fine until Casey leaned over and started licking his neck.

Then the dream went in a remarkably different direction -- different, but not at all unwelcome. He lay back and enjoyed the attention, but he couldn't help laughing when Casey's mouth hit a particularly ticklish spot, couldn't help fidgeting as Casey slid a hand inside his Bermuda shorts.

Dan recognised this type of dream. Half-remembered and half-imagined, the details were vivid: the scratch of stubble, the soft hair that trailed from Casey's chest to his stomach, the coarser hairs that curled around the base of his cock.

Dan reached across and dragged Casey closer to him; he let himself smooth his hands over bare skin, following the heat of arousal. In these dreams, it was easy to drag Casey's soft lips between his teeth, to tease Casey with maddeningly light touches until he whined high in the back of his throat, hips snapping forward in search of more pressure, more heat, more contact, more everything.

Dan felt Casey panting against his shoulder, felt the wet spurt of come splatter his hand. Casey trembled and collapsed against Dan, his hand moving lazily over Dan's still-hard cock. Then Dan opened his eyes -- really opened his eyes -- and realized three things.

Casey and Miami Beach had been a dream, but there really was someone else's hand down his shorts, slowly stroking his urgent erection. And that same someone was sucking at his neck, tongue pressing against the pulse point there.

Also, he was going to the special hell. There were tiny little demons engraving his invitation right now. "Charlie?"

The hand on his cock didn't stop moving, but from a point just below his ear, Charlie replied. "Mmm?"

"What are you--" His words stopped as Charlie bit down on his earlobe, dragging the soft skin between sharp teeth. Dan made a desperate attempt at damage control. Grabbing at Charlie's hand, he pleaded, "Charles. Stop. Now."

Thankfully, Charlie did.

Dan was left with the dead weight of a young, horny, drunk guy breathing puffs of warm, damp air against his neck. It was like stepping straight back into college.

First things first, he pushed Charlie's shoulders, rolling Charlie off him. "Okay, let's start this over. You explain what the hell you think you're doing, and we'll both pretend to be rational adults about this."

"But I'm not an adult," Charlie objected with a satisfied grin. Dan had the chilling thought that he knew precisely why Charlie was looking so smug and content.

"And that's a big part of the problem here," Dan muttered under his breath. "Just pretend to be an adult."

"Do I have to be rational?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Charlie smirked. "Dad's an adult, and he's not rational."

"There's only so much you can blame on genetics, kid." Dan let the smile fall away from his face. "Now quit stalling and tell me what in the world you were trying to do."

"I thought it was pretty obvious."

Dan sighed and sat up. He flicked on the bedside lamp -- a gift from Dana many years ago -- and watched Charlie. Beneath his mussed sandy-blond hair, his eyes were still glazed and his cheeks were alcohol-flushed. "From where I'm standing, it's not obvious at all."

"I wanted--" Charlie paused and ran his teeth over his kiss-reddened lips. "I wanted to touch you. So I did. And you touched back, so it all worked out."

Dan tried not to wince. That type of plan was straight out of the Casey McCall playbook. "You know how you're grandma says your a lot like your father? She's not just talking about your looks."

"I was kind of counting on that," Charlie mumbled sullenly.

Dan blinked and felt himself start to frown as he thought about that cryptic comment. "Meaning what, precisely?"

Charlie shrugged and looked over at the wall.

"Charles?"

"Meaning what I said." He hesitated for a moment, and then added, "I'm not blind, okay?"

Dan took a deep breath. Then he leaned over, anchored a hand against Charlie's arm, and tried to force the conversation to make sense. "What do you mean?"

"I've seen the way you look at him." Charlie didn't need to say who he was talking about, didn't need to spell it out, and Dan suddenly felt like the world's biggest idiot. Here he was, post-therapy, post-Abby, post-Sam, and a seventeen-year-old could see through him. "I'm not blind. I've seen the way you look at guys, and I've seen the way you look at Dad."

"And you thought if I was half-asleep I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between you and your father? Do you hear how screwed up that is?" The second Charlie ducked his head and crossed his arms over his chest, Dan regretted his harsh tone. "I'm just saying, Charles, this isn't--"

Charlie skewered him with a look. "What?"

"This is really bad." Dan rubbed at his eyes. It was too early to be dealing with a situation this complex. "I care about your father, yes, but we're just friends."

Dan didn't add that there had been a time when he'd considered more, a time when he'd thought Casey could give him more. But that had come to its own radical conclusion one hot Dallas night, one night that everyone conveniently 'forgot' the next day, one night they carefully never mentioned. "We'll only ever be friends."

"It's pretty stupid being in love with someone who'll never love you back," Charlie said spitefully, sitting up against the headboard, and out of the mouths of babes fell the truth. "He'll never love you, you know. Not the same way. He wouldn't even get it."

"You're selling your dad short," Dan said, starting to see a glimmer of sense to this distorted scene. "Just because Casey doesn't feel the same way doesn't mean he wouldn't understand."

"He'd freak out completely," Charlie said with certainty. He pulled the comforter over his chest, fisting the material in his hands. "Dad wouldn't get it at all."

"He knows I sleep with guys."

Charlie snorted, his teeth clenched together.

"Charles?" Dan asked softly, and waited until Charlie's defensive, brown eyes met his. "Casey knows. And if you told him you felt the same way about guys, it wouldn't be the end of the world."

"It might be." Charlie's voice cracked on the last word, and he suddenly looked all of his seventeen years: young, confused and wishing he could live up to his parents' expectations. Dan remembered that feeling all too well.

Reaching out, Dan wrapped an arm around Charlie's shoulders. He pulled the boy towards him, and Charlie buried his head against Dan's collarbone. "It wouldn't be."

"You can't be sure." Dan rubbed a hand against Charlie's back and could hear the tears that Charlie was fighting. "The last thing Dad's career needs is a son who likes guys. Dad'll be furious."

"What about a partner who likes guys? You don't think that's a bit of a threat?"

Charlie shook his head. "It's not the same."

"No. The difference is that I work with him. That he could have walked away and had a great solo career," Dan said firmly, keeping a tight hold on Charlie. "You're his son. Walking away from you would break his heart. No matter what you did, no matter who you decided you were, Casey would still be there. He might be angry, or confused, or disappointed for a little while, but he loves you."

Charlie sniffled, and for a moment, he seemed more like the kid he used to be than the young man he was becoming.

"I think you need to talk to him, Charles. It's a lot better than getting drunk and finding yourself in bed with some stranger."

Charlie pulled his head back and shot Dan a strange look. "You're not a stranger, Danny."

Dan laughed ruefully, dragging his hand through his hair. "That makes it worse."

Nodding gently, Charlie sat back on the other side of the bed. "This is you letting me down gently, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"For the record: this sucks." Charlie sighed. "I want you, and you want him, and Dad wants the world to follow rules. Why can't it be simple?"

Dan smiled fondly and leaned over to ruffle Charlie's hair. "Because the world is a wonderful, complicated place. Life wouldn't be half as much fun if it wasn't."

"I still think it sucks," Charlie replied, but there was a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth.

"You'll grow out of it."

  
The End


End file.
